With heavy hearts filled with eternal hope, we announce the passing of Mary Esther Bernal, loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She entered the Kingdom of God on March 10, 2022 ushered in with a choir of angels and a "chorus of a thousand birds," and met by her beloved Father and Mother, Joe and Mary S. Martinez, her son, Barney, and brother Joe Jr.

Mary Esther was born on the Southside of San Antonio and educated in Catholic schools at St. Leo's and St. Henry's Academy, where she graduated high school. She attended Our Lady of the Lake and majored in music, specializing in piano and organ. Her musical abilities were nothing short of magical. One day, a grad student overheard her playing piano in a recital room and was mesmerized by her talents and beauty. This led to a courtship and an everlasting romance to Joe J Bernal.

Mary Esther knew her calling was to devote her extraordinary musical talents in large part to San Fernando Cathedral. In her teen years, she performed as a pianist and organist, spending over 60 years playing for masses, directing adult and children's choirs, and later collaborating with Father Virgilio Elizondo. Together, they created the televised Misa de San Fernando reaching millions of viewers in the U.S. and throughout Latin America. The ultimate highlight of her music career would be to direct the San Fernando Choir during the papal visit of Pope John Paul II to San Antonio in 1987. On their later visit to Rome and the Vatican, and much to the surprise of Mary Esther, the Pope remembered his visit to San Antonio and announced his enjoyment in listening to the choir sing "Ante tu Altar" to the Virgin de Guadalupe. Mary Esther never took remuneration for her services to the church; the Pope's recollection and joy was all the payment she ever wanted.

Mary Esther's journey as a dedicated educator began in San Antonio in 1958.  She learned early on that she could reach and teach kids using her musical talents as part of her daily curriculum. At that time, teaching in the Spanish language was prohibited by law, as the sign on the door read "The Language of the Day is English." As such, Mary Esther incorporated well-known tunes popular in the Mexican culture, like Cielito Lindo, but substituted English words! This innovative connection with children increased attendance and performance in school. So popular were her teaching methods that kids from other classrooms would climb through windows to join her class.

In her long career as a SAISD administrator, Mary Esther was able to develop a successful curriculum which enhanced the use of languages combined with music to better the educational experiences of children. She collaborated with Joe to develop Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language approaches to increase educational opportunities in low-income areas. As Director of Languages and Cultural Arts, Mary Esther was instrumental in introducing Mariachi music in the school setting, which became a nationally renowned concept that continues today. She also developed three multilingual schools to offer instruction in six languages!

Mary Esther retired from teaching in 1995, but her service to her community didn't stop there. From 1996 to 2004, she was elected to the SAISD School Board for District 7. Her list of community and professional organizations number in the dozens, but she was particularly devoted to TREDDA (Texas Retired Educators Deferred Dividend Association), SAARTA (San Antonio Area Retired Teachers Assn), San Antonio Council of Presidents, San Antonio Women's Federation, Pan American League, the Texas and San Antonio Associations for Bilingual Education (TABE, SAABE) and the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame.

Over the years, Mary Esther's heart could be seen in her musical stylings, which were the perfect combination of classical structure met with an unshakable sense of self and point of view. Her music connected thousands together, combining concertos by Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin, the complex syncopated and layered sounds of jazz, and the traditional Mexican folk stylings of Agustín Lara, brought together to make the perfect intimate concert. Every room with a piano present was an opportunity to find humanity in the hearts and emotions of those who were present.  She organized many trips abroad with her friends and fellow teachers, and she loved playing music at parties, which she recognized as God's gift for her to share. Never for the purpose of praise but driven by an understanding of the joy and connection music brings, Mary Esther's love and trust in music as a source of healing became the soundtrack to all those who were close to her. At weddings, funerals, announcements for public office, quinceañeras, Christmas tamaladas, birthday celebrations, and Sunday night concerts after dinner with the family, her piano was her love language.

Mary Esther had a keen sense of humor, a wonderful smile, and a bountiful laugh. She was a devoted wife to Joe, who she proudly proclaimed as her "first" husband, and she enjoyed her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, with whom shared her love of birds: "Mom, those are doves!" "Well, they look like pigeons to me!"  Scrabble was her game! At a moment's notice, a scrabble competition would commence amongst Mary Esther, Joe, and friends. Mary Esther and Joe had four children: Richard, Patrick (Elisa), Barney (deceased) and Rebecca (Robert), grandchildren: Benjamin (Lauren), Carlos (Priscilla), Nathan, Gabriel, Bianca (Justin), George, RJ and Ryan, and great grandchildren: Brandon, Luke, Leo, Julia, Alexxander, and Camerin. She will be greatly missed and always remembered for the love and laughter she so readily spread.

FUNERAL SERVICES

A Rosary will be held on Monday April 4, 2022 at The Angelus Funeral Home at 7:00pm with a public viewing beginning at 4:30pm.

Tuesday, April 5th, a Pre-mass Memorial will begin at 8:40am at San Fernando Cathedral with the Funeral Mass to follow at 9:00am.

Interment will follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery at 11:15am.

MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to:

San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame, C/O Mary Esther Bernal Scholarship Fund,

PO Box 461104, San Antonio, TX 78246

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